DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMERCIALLY VIABLE SYSTEM FOR ORGANIC STRAWBERRY RUNNER PRODUCTION

System requirements for organic runner production were determined during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Production costs per plant were determined. In both seasons, organically produced runners were evaluated in the field and compared with conventionally produced runners for yield and fruit quality under organic BioGro™ certified production conditions. Several cultivars were studied, with the main emphasis on cv. Sunset and cv. Aromas. The curtain system, where mother plants grew on benches in a tunnel house and the first two runners were potted into growth substrate, produced approximately 200 plug plants m^-2, and was the best system. Diseases and pests were mostly controlled by sanitation. The least preferred system was bin production, where mothers were allowed to run into a bin containing the growth substrate in the tunnel house. Approximately 100 bare-rooted plants were produced per square metre. Botrytis infections occurred due to the dense strawberry canopy. The cost per runner was NZ$0.50 and $0.86/plant for the curtain and bin systems, respectively. Production of organic runners under cover allowed earlier (March vs May) planting, which produced yield increases of approximately 200 g/plant. This more than compensated for the additional cost of organic runners compared with conventional bare-rooted runners.